The Washington critic., 1887-03-25
WASHINGTON, MARCH 25, 1887.
THE FALL OF TYRANNY"


In answer to correspondent, who
desires TO know the Significance Of the
painting which adorns the canopy OF
1he rotunda of the Capitol, the Atlanta
constitution responds as follows:
The picture over head represents "Thc
'Triumph Of Liberty over the Foes of the Re-
iubllc." II was painted soon after the war
and undoubtedly was Intended 10 Illustrate
the victory of the mon arms. The faces OF
some OF the figures which ARE nyng from Lib.
eTty's uplifted sword hcAr u resemblance to
The leaders Of the couto'rricy, especially To
jefferson Davis, Alexander II stephens and
Stonewall jacks AllcIr portraits of Gen.
cral Lee and John O. BJu. sturidgc are also
pointed out. bat they arr not - striking. It
is probable tlnt the artist dld iIt,nd 10 carl.
caturc the defeated Confederate statesmen
and generals, The picture d generally re-.
garded rs relic Of the bitterness which
naturally existed Just after the war. The
painting Is a miserable dlub, and II the gen.
'rosity Of a reunited country does not blot II
out, u should ~ least be condemned and
erased 10y good taste asa dI,tguratiun Of the
arch oi the dome
Reference is here made to Brunidi's
"Apotheosis Of Washington, which
subjects of which, saying nothing as
TO the artistic merit OF their treatment,
we should suppose TO be peculiarly
grateful and pleasing to every Amer
lean heart. They are "Agricylturc,"
Mechanics" ," Commerce, the "Ml.
rine," the ARTS and Sciences and
the "Fall of Tyranny The last
named, or, rs our Atlanta contem.
porary desiguates it, "The Triumph of
Liberty over the Foes of the Repub
lie" is not as might be inferred from
the above description, the chief portion
or even the central idea Of the paint.
ing. The canopy contains an area of
over 1900 square feet. This particu.
lar group occupies considerably less
than a tenth of the space. With what
sort Of glasses 1t can be observed so as
TO cover the whole arch and become a
completed work in itself, instead of
mere fraction of the artists concep.
tion, we are at loss to determine.
Regarded as part or whole-small or
great, however-the subject of this
specific painting is certainly no more
obnoxious to criticism than are the
subjects of its associate groups. There
is no one section of the Union which
has less reason than another TO rejoice
in the Fall Of Tyranny" or that Lib
erty has triumphed over the foes of the
Republic. Yet, beGausa SOME super.
sensitive, hypercri,ical observer imag.
Ines that he detects resemblance TO Lee
and Steph MS, ,Jelrers IL Davisand Stone.
wall Jackson In the ineamen,s of the
figures Of this group, poor old Brumidi
Is forthwith charged with having con.
vcrted Revolutionary allegory into a
modern caricature. the work upon
which be expended years and stakci
his reputation is pronounced mis-.
cradle daub" and the generosity of a
reunited country is appealed to to
erase the Fall of Tyranny" as dis.
fguration.
Brumidi has been gathered to his
fathers. II his inspiration was ,inctured
with the vindiCtiveness of seCtionalsm
If there was fell design In the old
mans heart 10 heap enduring insult
upon the great leaders of the Confed-
eracy, all of whom with one exception
were then living, the secret died with
him. If efligies he has made of them
it is no more than he has done with the
venerated Washington and the extra
ordinary gathering by which he /.
surrounded. If Brumidi had any par
ticular spite towards Robert L. Lee and
Jefferson Davis to crafty, 1t is equally
apparent that he must have cherished
certain feeling of unkindness toward,
the Father of his Country.
Fortunately, however, as Mr.. Con
ger once remarked upon the floor oi
the Senate, the figures of the canopy
are perched at too high an altitude Il
admit of minute inspection. They are
as far above the reach of criticism a.
above the range of vision. And we are
somewhat surprised that after all thes,
years, during which the origina
thirteen and all the other States have
gone in and out beneath the overarch
ing allegory without any disturbance
Of public equanimIty, it should be
assailed at this late day as a deliberate
insult to the South, worthy only of be
ing ruthlessly scrubbed out.
We trust that our friend Grady oI
the Constitution, who so recently clec
tritied the country with his eloquen
apostrophe TO the New South aud the re
stored Union, will refrain from pre-
clpi,ating any new and dangerous is
sues. If an attack is to be made let |
be made all along the lines, Brothe
Grady beginning with G.. W. and tn
symposium which he Is holding In tn
centre of the arena.
The Metropolitan Art Gallery an
Central Park museums OF New Iorl
will be opened on Sundays II the Legl:
lature can lie induced to make an ar
preparation TO cover the additionu
expense. Mayor Hewitt is strongly /
favor of the movement, and It has bee
decided on so far as the authority q
the city is concerned. There has bee
considerable change of public sent
ment on this subject In the last fo
years. 1t is beginning to be felt thl
rational recreation on Sunday is NJ
incompatible with the due religion
observance of the day, and that as Ion
as thousands of working people In a
large cities are necessarily debarrC
from tlle heneflts of the nublic librarie